Car-coupling



' States, residing at Burlington, in the county 2o jected is greatly reduced, the coupling operanection with cars provided with coupling dewhich slightly projects into the recess H of the mouth 0 of the draw-head, so as to bear Jonnv. BEAMS AND ARGHIBALD o.

PATENT rice. I

MAJORS, OF BURLINGTON, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 287,860, dated November 6, 1883,

L 7 Application filed December 6, 1882. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern;-

Be it known that we, JOHN V. BEAMS and AROHIBALD G. MAJORS, citizens of the United of Oofi'ey andState of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Oouplings; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. Our invention relatesto couplings for railway cars 5 and it consists in the improved construction and combinations of parts, fully described hereinafter, whereby the strain to which carcouplings have heretofore been subtions facilitated and expedited, and the convices of a different character easily effected.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car. provided with our improved coupling. Figs. 2 and 2 represent the coupling-pin and its dog and the draw-head detached. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection' of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a reversed plan view, and Fig. 5 represents a side elevation, partly in section.

A represents a portion of. the bottom ofsa car, beneath which, and between guides at a and cross-bars b b, is secured the draw-head B, presenting its flaring mouth 0 from the front of the car, for the reception of the couplinglink 0, and having a vertical perforation d, in' which the coupling-pin Dplays.

The draw-head B is provided at its rear. edge with a neck, 6, which plays in the .perforation e of a cross-bar, E, secured between the guides b b, the buffer spring or springs f being interposed between said bar E and the draw-head B. Y

The draw-headB contains a recess, F, within which is pivoted a block, G, one end, g, of

upon the top of that portion of the couplinglink 0 which enters the recess in the coupling operation.

The pivot h, by which the block G is pivoted,

passes through an L-shaped slot, 5, in said block, and is caused to rest normally in the vertical portion j of the same through the agency of a straight fieXion-spring, k, which exerts a downward pressure upon the block, I

and which may be retained in any desirable manner within the recess F. A spirally-expanding spring, k, encircling the spring It, tends to maintain the .block G in a position with its projecting end 9 within the recess H of the drawhead.

The under face of the block G has a shoulder, Z, which projects sufficiently to admit of its being struck, so as to lift the block G by the bent end Z of a pivoted hand-lever, L, secured to one of the guides to by a pivot, Z and capable of lateral oscillation upon said pivot. A

An elbow lever, M, pivoted on the car above the draw-bar, connects with the pin D through the medium of a rod, on, and link m, and effects the lifting of the coupling-pin when desired.

.An angle-dog, N, is pivoted upon the top of the projecting part of the draw-head. A coiled spring, 7t, lies beneath the said dog, within a pocket, n, formed inthe draw-head, and so attached to the angle-dog N as to cause one of its ends, 7?, to have a tendency to bear against one of the sides of the couplingpin D and enter a notch, d, in the same when said pin is raised by the lever M sufficiently to bring the notch opposite the said end a", Fig. 1. I The other end of the dog N terminates ina handle, n", to afford a convenient means for operating said dog by hand, to cause its end n to pass from the notch d when it is desired to efiect the dropping of the coupling-pin by hand.

Above the springdog N, and upon any suitable part of the car, is pivoted a ratchet-arm, O, the teeth of which engagewith a ribbed projection, 71., on the spring-dog, N, and the said, ratchet-arm O is to the rod m.

A pin, 19, passing through the side of the draw-head, enters an elongated slot, 1), in the coupling-pin in the side of the same opposite to that in which the notch d is located, the said pin 19 serving to maintain the couplingpin centrally within the vertical perforation cl. Rollers q q, located within the perforation d, render the movements of the coupling-pin within the same easy and overcome any tendency to friction. The lower end of the coupling-pin is beveled at w, so that in case of its being crushed or flattened its dimensions will always admit of its being withdrawn from and passed into the coupling-link.

The operation is as follows: The ascent of the coupling-pin is caused by the movement of the lever M. The end a of the spring-dog N, having, as aforesaid, a tendency to bear against the side of the coupling-pin, is prevented from so doing by the ratchet-arm 0, one of the teeth of which catches on the ribbed projection of the dog. The notch d in the side of the pin having nearly arrived in a position adapted for the entrance of the end a of the dog, the ratchet-arm is lifted by the further movement of the lever, which fairly brings the notch into position, allowing the end n of the spring-dog (the movement of which is now unimpeded) to pass into the notch and maintainthe pin in its elevated position upon the release of the lever M, the ratchet-arm resuming its first position, with one of its teeth engaging with the ribbed projection a" of the spring-dog. \Vhen the coupling-link enters the mouth G of the draw-head B, it bears against the end 9 of the blockG, the shoulder of which bears upon the upper face of the link and serves to keep it in its proper position, the further movement of the link against said block G resulting in the movement of the entire draw-head, and causing the end it of the spring-dog to be forced against the tooth of the ratchet-arm, thereby moving said end if, efi'eeting the automatic displacement of the end a from within the notch d, and resulting in the descent of the coupling-pin. I

It will be obvious that the foregoing operations may be effected from the side of the car. Thus the lever M may be dispensed with, and levers Q Q, pivoted as shown, extend so as to be operated, respectively, from either side of the .car, a pin, 8, 011 the end of the lever Q moving in a slot, t, in the end of the lever Q, thus rendering one general link-connection, u, with the coupling-pin and ratchet-arm O suf ficient for both.

In order to adapt the coupling for use in connection with cars having long links, the hand-lever L, on the under side of the car, is moved so as to bring its bent end Z to bear on the shoulder Z of the block G, and thereby lift the block G, so that its pivot it comes in line with the longitudinal portion 7' of the L. shaped slot, thus allowing the block, when pressure is brought to bear against the front face thereof, to yield and move back, affording an increased-depth of the recess, to accommodate the extra length of the link.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that by our construction we effect the automatic and positive coupling of the cars by a simple and convenient arrangement of parts, adapt the device for connection with cars having various lengths and forms of links, and reduce the liability of the parts to strain and I wear to a minimum.

1. The combination, in a ear-coupling, of

a notched pin, D, devices for vertically moving the same, a pivoted dog, one end of which bears in said notch when the pin is raised, and the other end of which bears against the teeth of a ratchet-arm 011 the entrance of the coupling-link, substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. The combination, in a car-coupling, of the draw-head B, a notched pin, D, devices for vertically moving the latter, a pivoted dog, N, having one of its ends adapted to bear into the notch of the pin D, and appliances for disengaging the said dog N from the notch of the pin upon the inward movement of the draw-head, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a ear-coupling, of a notched pin, D, spring-dog N, ratchet-arm- O, and a lever, M, connected both to the pin and the ratchet-arm O, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination, in a car-coupling, of a notched pin, D, and a spring-dog, N, having the handle a", substantially as set forth.

The combination, in a car-coupling, of the notched pin D, appliances for vertically moving the same, a dog, N, and coiled spring n, arranged within a pocket, at, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a earcoupling, of the draw-head having the block G, provided with the projection y, and aspring bearing 011 the upper face of the said block G, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, in a car-coupling, of a draw-head having the perforation d, and a pin, 12, passing through the side of the draw-head and fitting within an elongated slot, 2, in the coupling-pin, substantially as set forth.

8. The rollers q q, located in the perforation (1 of the draw-head, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN V. BEAMS. ARCHIBALD C. MAJORS. W'itnesses:

ORSON KENT, HARRY E. KELLEY. 

